Godspell - Music and NEW lyrics by Stephen Schwartz??

[jasobres]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:29pm

This has been bugging me ever since I first saw an amateur production of Godspell at the Northern Westchester Center for the Arts' Colleen Dewherst Theatre in Mt. Kisco, NY. Why is Stephen Schwartz credited with writing "new" lyrics to Godspell?

[Princeton78]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:32pm

The lyrics to "Beautiful City" and "Tower of Babble" have been rewritten for newer productions.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:35pm

OLD LYRICS:

"Come sing me sweet rejoicing/Come sing me love
We're not afraid of voicing/All the things we're dreaming of
Oh, high and low/and everywhere we go

Chorus: We can build/A beautiful city Yes we can/Yes we can We can build/A beautiful city Call it out/And call it the city of man"

NEW LYRICS:

"We may not reach the ending/But we can start
Slowly but truly mending/Brick by brick/Heart by heart
Now, maybe now/we start learning how.

Chorus: We can build/A beautiful city
Yes we can/Yes we can
We can build/A beautiful city
Not a city of angels/But finally a city of man"

[jasobres]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:35pm

But even on the orginal Off-Off-Broadway cast album, he is credited for writing "New Lyrics."

[Princeton78]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:43pm

That probably refers to the fact that the show was already a work in progress at Cafe LaMama when Schwartz was brought in. The only song that was kept was "By My Side" which was written by Peggy Gordon and Jay Hamburger. So in essence, the 'new music and lyrics' refer to every song in the score except 'By My Side.'

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:45pm

I love "By My Side."

I'll put a pebble
In my shoe
And watch me walk

Beautiful and haunting! The girls who sang it during my production this summer were absolutely perfect. In fact, the whole cast was perfect! I wish I could do it again.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:47pm

If you do a search of my posts, you'll see that I am a huge fan of this show. I've always wanted to be a part of it. At the moment though, I'll settle for playing Paul in Company.

[peach]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:49pm

I love this show.

By My Side is a great song.

But my favorite is Light of the World!

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:50pm

I was Robin this summer. I was a little bummed because "Day By Day" is such a repetitive song with no range, but it ended up being perfect. Everyone really was cast according to their personalities. I can't picture anyone playing a different part.

God bless talented directors.

[Katt]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:51pm

I like "We Beseech Thee". It's a fun song.

[mominator]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:51pm

I have said it soooo many times before I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!! Beautiful City (in it's original form is IMHO the best)

[peach]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:54pm

Kitzy - I alson was Robin - years ago when I did this show in college. Thew good thing about Day by Day, is everyone is familiar with it, I always say!

We did the production in an old chapel on campus - the audience sat in the pews. It was waaaay cool (and trippy in the good Godspell way - what with the stained glass windows and all).

Ahh - Godspell = good times.
Updated On: 3/9/06 at 12:54 PM

[Princeton78]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:55pm

If I could go back in time and see the original cast of ANY musical, it would, without question be Godspell. Not to knock any current productions, but I think that it's a show that worked best only in the original production with that set, costumes, choreography and direction. I was lucky enough to be able to view an archive video of the original show at the Lincoln Center Library, and it was amazing.

[Katt]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 12:56pm

How were you able to see it in the Lincoln Center? Isn't that very hard to get into? There are many videos in there that I would kill to see.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 1:08pm

Haha..
I did nothing illegal to get there. I had a good reason.

[Katt]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 1:13pm

Haha, no, I didn't think you did something illegal, I was just curious.

Aren't you only allowed one viewing of a video? I thought I heard that.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 1:13pm

That is correct.

[Katt]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 1:14pm

[Jon]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 1:14pm

Folks - the reason it has ALWAYS said "New Lyrics" is that many of the lyrics are taken verbatim from The Gospel According to St. Matthew.

In other, words, Scwartz doesn't want to take credit for things that St. Matthew, and, for that matter, Jesus, actually said.

[peach]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 1:32pm

You mean, Stephen Schwartz didn't write the Gospel? What gives?

Yes, I am kidding.

Updated On: 3/9/06 at 01:32 PM

[Katt]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 1:41pm

He did write the Gospel! For teenage girls at least. It's called Wicked. :P

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 1:43pm

Thank you, Jon. I was just about to post the same.

[jasobres]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 3:16pm

Why does it take only 22+ posts to get an actual answer?!?

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 3:20pm

Folks - the reason it has ALWAYS said "New Lyrics" is that many of the lyrics are taken verbatim from The Gospel According to St. Matthew.

- EXACTLY. I'm a little suprised some didn't know a lot of the lyrics are from the Gospels. Especially for people who have been in the show - not to know that - is a bit odd.

[QueenS]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 3:40pm

More so, several of the songs (including the full text of "Turn Back, O Man") have taken the lyrics directly from old Methodist hymns.